This invention relates to an improved enclosed trailer. More particularly, it relates to an improved enclosed trailer for transporting stacked cartons of living fowl.
One of the chief problems in transporting large numbers of living fowl, such as baby chicks, is the removal of excess heat from their immediate environment to ensure that a large number will survive the transport. Obviously, transporting fowl in open-air trailers while permitting a great deal of air circulation during transport is not acceptable because of the direct exposure of the fowl to the elements. Trailers have been devised which are constructed so that the side walls have many openings to permit the free flow of air.
Recently more sophisticated trailers have been designed which are substantially closed but provide for a controlled environment during the transport of the fowl. These types of trailers include in-wall and overhead duct work and fans for circulating air. The air ducts may be connected to various sources of forced air, such as air-conditioners, fans and in some cases forced air heaters. The air would normally be circulated through open grates in a false bottomed floor of the trailer and between rows of fowl. The fowl are contained in stacked cartons with parallel rows of the cartons running along the length of the trailer in closely spaced relationships. Even with the more sophisticated controlled environment systems hot spots have developed where the air circulation is poor, particularly in the middle rows of the stacked cartons. It has been found that many of the fowl in those particular areas will not survive a long transport.